What to check when an invoice, packing list and transport document disagree

When an invoice, packing list and transport document disagree, do not choose a winner by file date alone. Identify the field that differs, the party that owns that field, and whether a revised source document exists. Keep the conflicting values visible until a person resolves the exception.

Compare fields, not whole documents

Record the shipment reference, supplier, consignee, product description, package count, quantity, gross/net weight and transport reference from each document. A mismatch in package count may have a different owner and consequence from a mismatch in price. Separate these rather than issuing one vague 'documents inconsistent' alert.

Work through one discrepancy

Suppose the invoice states 120 cartons, the packing list states 118, and the bill of lading states 118 packages. First check units: cartons, pallets and packages may not mean the same thing. Then inspect document dates and revision labels. Ask the supplier whether the invoiced quantity changed, and the forwarder what was actually handed over for transport. Record their answers and request a corrected document where appropriate.

The reviewer should not change the invoice to 118 just because two other documents agree. Nor should a software system infer that the shipment is complete. The owner of the commercial record must confirm the commercial quantity; the transport party confirms its transport record.

A useful exception workflow

Give each discrepancy an ID, affected fields, source files, document versions, owner, deadline and decision. Show whether the case is waiting for supplier correction, forwarder confirmation, internal approval or a new version. Re-run the comparison when a new document arrives. Preserve the earlier value and the reason for the resolution.

What a controlled pilot can test

Import Dossier Control is available for controlled pilot implementation. A pilot can extract selected fields, flag differences and route them to a reviewer. Test with real anonymized dossiers, including revised files and split shipments, before deciding which checks are reliable. The declarant and import team retain the decision to proceed. Discuss a pilot: /solutions/import-dossier-control.

PortNet's declarant/transitaire guide lists document types that may be attached in its workflow; document requirements vary by case. Source: https://www.portnet.ma/documents/d/guichet-unique/declarant-et-transitaire .